frankie avolon. >> he played a record of mine on a thursday. on a monday, i was on my way. >> reporter: over the years, clark barely seemed to age. he spoke of america's nickname for him. >> i have a terrible problem, because people keep referring to me as america's oldest teenager. >> i've been watching dick clark since i was a little kid. >> reporter: it was the 1970s. dick clark first started hosting on new year's eve. the program, just an hour and a half in the beginning, would expand to six hours over the years. it had become an american staple every new year's. and only a stroke would slow dick clark down. >> my speech is not perfect, but i'm getting there. >> reporter: this year, his wife of nearly 35 years would be in times square. she was the one who helped screw that crystal triangle with dick clark's name on the ball. >> 40 years i've been coming here. so this year, people were saying what are you going to do? i said, i don't know what else to do but to come to times square. any way, like he said, this is the place to be on new year'